- Date
- May 5, 2019, 17:12 local (21:12 UTC)
- Place
- Marion, IN
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N96974Cessna 182
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190505003969A
- Case key
- 99384
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper trim setting and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane landed hard and bounced. He decided to go around, so he added full power, but the nose pitched up sharply. He added that he attempted to lower the nose, but the airspeed decreased, and the airplane "lost lift on [the] right side." He pushed forward on the control yoke, but the airplane drifted right, the right wing aerodynamically stalled, and the airplane impacted the ground next to a taxiway and spun around. A passenger saw a fire in front of the firewall, and all occupants exited the airplane. The airplane was destroyed by postaccident fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the pilot stated he used nose-up trim during the approach. The pilot also stated that, during the go-around, he attempted to use the electric trim to trim nose down. When the airplane nosed up, the pilot attempted to lower the nose but hesitated due to the airplane being near the ground, and he retracted the flaps. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and found that the trim setting was "just short of full nose up trim."
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane landed hard and bounced. He decided to go around, so he added full power, but the nose pitched up sharply. He attempted to lower the nose, but the airspeed decreased and he "lost lift on [the] right side". He pushed forward on the control yoke, but the airplane drifted right, the right wing aerodynamically stalled, the airplane impacted the ground next to a taxiway, and spun around. A passenger observed a fire in front of the firewall and all occupants exited the airplane. The airplane was consumed by a postaccident fire and was destroyed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the pilot stated he used nose up trim during approach. The pilot added to the FAA inspector that, during the go around, he attempted to use the electric trim to trim nose down. When the airplane nosed up, the pilot attempted to lower the nose, but hesitated due to the close ground proximity and he retracted the flaps. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and observed that the trim setting was "just short of full nose up trim." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96974
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (Q)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18266920
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 3,073.2
- Engine
- Continental O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 2018
- Departed
- RCR · Rochester, IN
- Destination
- MZZ · Marion, IN
- Airport
- MZZ · Marion Muni, runway 04, 6,011 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- September 20, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,880 total · 1,840 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KMZZ
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 23, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.